As a few people were touring Ellna’s over the weekend, a visitor walked up to one of our residents and said, “What’s your name?” The resident who suffers from severe dementia replied, “Pauline”. The visitor said, “Nice to meet you, my name is Joanie.” Pauline said, “Okay, Groanie”. The visitor just looked at Pauline with a stunned expression. However, the tour guide burst out laughing. Why?
A few of the techniques our staff utilize to keep our residents and the overall environment calm and peaceful, are playfulness, acceptance and empathy. Our tour guide’s laughter reflected playfulness, empathy and acceptance of what Pauline said in the hope Pauline wouldn’t be upset by the stunned expression on the visitor’s face. The tour guide’s laughter also lightened the mood of the interaction and invited the visitor to laugh, too.